Pak to move World Bank on Chenab flow

Published: Sunday, October 26, 2008, 15:37 [IST]

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{image-Chenab River_26102008.jpg www.oneindia.com}Islamabad, Oct 26: Indus Water Commissioner (IWC) Jamaat Ali Shah has said Pakistan will approach the World Bank and receive compensation from India for obstructing water flow from the Chenab River and defects in the design of the Baglihar Dam.

Talking to Indian journalists at the Indra Gandhi Airport before his departure to Pakistan, Jamaat Ali Shah said he visited the district Doda of Jammu and Kashmir and found several defects in the Baglihar Dam. "Talks at length were held with my Indian counterpart but I am not satisfied with it," he said. "India has built the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River and snatched 200,000 cusecs water from Pakistan during the month of September," he said, adding: "This is utter violation of the set laws." He said it had damaged Pakistan's Kharif crops, adding to the miseries of the farmers community.

He hinted that two rounds of talks took place with his Indian counterpart but they ended inconclusively. "India is sticking to its traditional obduracy and inflexibility, which is causing losses to Pakistan," he said.

While referring to his talks with the Indian Indus Water commissioner, he said Pakistan could obtain its share of water from Headmarala and there was no bar on it.

Meanwhile, Foreign Office sources said the Indus Water commissioner would give an informal briefing on his talks in New Delhi so that a future strategy could be evolved.